From late-game guttings to the occasional howler, TFC’s 26-year-old captain has absorbed the full force of a critical market desperate for a BMO Field win — much less a post-season appearance.

To sum up how stunningly bad it’s been, O’Dea — and the Reds — haven’t claimed a BMO Field league win since last July, a month before O’Dea arrived.

Before the disturbing ending to TFC’s 3-3, gaffe-filled draw with Montreal Wednesday night, it looked like they were destined to end that streak, with O’Dea, at least initially, going from zero to hero in less than 30 minutes.

“I’ve made a mistake for the first goal,” O’Dea said. “The biggest regret would have been to not put it right ... We managed to get back. We looked very comfortable.”

Even more stunning than TFC’s BMO Field winless run was how the Reds responded to conceding seconds in, battling back to score three unanswered, capping off a brilliant first-half that saw O’Dea net TFC’s third.

Six minutes after the Impact’s opener, Jeremy Brockie responded after collecting a scuffed shot and roofing it past Impact ’keeper Troy Perkins from six metres out.

Steven Caldwell headed home a recycled corner in the 21st minute before O’Dea rescued his blushes with a bit of brilliance to make it 3-1 three minutes later.

The Irish international produced a one-two with Luis Silva before darting into the box and blistering a low drive past Perkins to stun the sellout crowd at the break.

“We had them on their knees,” O’Dea said. “We let them back up. They’ve obviously got quality players that can do that ... It’s not what they did, it’s what we did.”

No one, not even the most pessimistic TFC supporter, could have predicted the complete — borderline sickening — second-half collapse the Reds put fans through yet again.

In the 69th minute, TFC, once again, reverted back to being the old TFC — or maybe the current.

Montreal’s Hassoun Camara scored from close range after defenders Caldwell and Ryan Richter failed to deal with a cross.

It took Impact Designated Player Marco Di Vaio a minute to equalize after Richter’s miss-clearance ended up with Felipe, who threaded a cutting ball to Di Vaio for the easy finish — a sequence that should bench Richter for the rest of the season.

Head coach Ryan Nelsen sat down at his post-game with a huff, taking an even deeper breath than he has during any other late-game collapse.

“You don’t make those kinds of mistakes in football,” Nelsen said. “It’s a pretty horrendous one ... It doesn’t help when you go down 1-0 at home 30 seconds in.”

The two sides traded chances in search of a fourth goal.

Brockie, for how good he was, should have finished from the top of the area in the 67th minute, instead blasting an effort that hasn’t landed yet.

Romero nearly completed his brace 10 minutes from time when he pounced on a rebound, but Bendik somehow got a hand to the Argentine’s attempt.

What should have been a 4-1 or 5-1 TFC win turned into one of the most stunning, unforeseen league results in Toronto’s seven-year history.

“We could have ended the game,” Nelsen said. “It could have been a long-time done.”

Brockie striking the post in the 89th minute brought about a bit of late-game excitement that only served as a reminder to O’Dea of everything he’s been through — and put bewildered supporters through Wednesday night.

TFC is making a habit of blowing games in unfathomable ways — this time against Montreal

From late-game guttings to the occasional howler, TFC’s 26-year-old captain has absorbed the full force of a critical market desperate for a BMO Field win — much less a post-season appearance.

To sum up how stunningly bad it’s been, O’Dea — and the Reds — haven’t claimed a BMO Field league win since last July, a month before O’Dea arrived.

Before the disturbing ending to TFC’s 3-3, gaffe-filled draw with Montreal Wednesday night, it looked like they were destined to end that streak, with O’Dea, at least initially, going from zero to hero in less than 30 minutes.